'Death to America' chanted during Tehran rally

Nov. 4, 2013
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An image taken from a broadcast in February 2012 on the state-run Press TV shows centrifuges at Iran's Natanz nuclear site. Iran has said that is has activated a new generation of centrifuges and they are three times more productive. / AFP/Getty Images

by Oren Dorell, USA TODAY

by Oren Dorell, USA TODAY

As Tehran held its largest anti-U.S. rally in years, several leading Jewish groups say they are resisting pressure from President Obama to stop lobbying for new sanctions on Iran.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators joined in chants of "Death to America" on Monday to mark the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

"Fighting the global arrogance and hostile policies of America is the symbol of our national solidarity," said Saeed Jalili, a leading opponent of nuclear talks and senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Protester Reza Farahbakhsh called the rally "more spirited" than recent years, when crowds dwindled to a few thousand and had to be padded with schoolchildren.

The protest comes as Iran prepares to resume negotiations Thursday with the West over opening its nuclear program to inspection to prove it is not trying to make nuclear weapons. Khamenei tweeted a message Monday that he is not optimistic about negotiations.

He warned of "trusting an enemy who smiles" and who also threatens military action, as Israel and the Obama administration have done, if negotiations fail to rein in Iran's nuclear program.

Iran wants an end to economic sanctions imposed by the West to pressure it to permit inspections. But members of Congress are proposing even tougher sanctions. Obama wants them to hold off, and tried to enlist pro-Israeli groups to join his call in a meeting took place as State Department officials prepare to travel to Geneva for more talks.

The White House says increasing pressure on Iran may make Iran's leaders less willing to negotiate at the Geneva meetings that begin Thursday.

"They were hoping we would indicate to various senators they put the brakes on efforts to ratchet up sanctions, given the ongoing negotiations" with the Iranians, said David Harris, executive director of the American Jewish Committee, whose Washington representative attended the meeting.

While the meeting was cordial and respectful at all times, Harris said his group disagreed.

"We (AJC) believe that if the Senate pulls back on the new round of sanctions legislation, that - while some would wish the Iranians to see this as a goodwill gesture - we think the Iranians would see this as a weakening of the American position," Harris told USA TODAY.

A group of Republican senators, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, have said they will introduce legislation as early as next week to boost sanctions on Iran to increase pressure on the Islamic republic to make convincing concessions on its nuclear program.

The House of Representatives passed legislation to toughen sanctions on Iran in July, but several Democratic and Republican senators have agreed to back a delay. If they block a new bill, Kirk told the Associated Press he would try to attach new sanctions to the annual defense policy bill the Senate could consider as early as the week of Nov. 12.

Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani says his oil-rich country is pursuing nuclear technology for energy, research and medical purposes. But inspectors for the United Nations reported evidence that the regime experimented with nuclear weapons components. And Iran's own statements indicate it has stockpiled enriched uranium beyond its energy or medical needs.

The U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had concealed many aspects of its nuclear activities in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty that it signed. Iran has also blocked IAEA inspectors from visiting its nuclear sites as required by the pact.

Meanwhile, Iran has offered to restart stalled talks with the West on its nuclear program after years of economic sanctions imposed by the USA and other countries.

Backers of greater sanctions in the Senate say the sanctions must be intensified to force Iran not only to continue with talks but to take actions to ramp back its nuclear program. The White House has argued that new Iran sanctions should wait until a time when more pressure may be needed in the negotiations.

"The comprehensive economic and diplomatic pressure this administration has applied to Iran over the past four years has had its intended effect" of creating "the opportunity to test Iranian intentions to seek an enduring diplomatic solution," Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for the National Security Council, said.

"No one is suggesting an open-ended delay for new sanctions, and there may come a point where additional sanctions are necessary," she said. "At the same time, we believe it is important for Congress to reserve its ability to legislate for the moment when it's most effective in order to give the current negotiations the best chance to make real progress in achieving our shared goal of preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."

Harris said those present at the White House meeting agreed on the Obama administration's ultimate goal but differed on how best to reach it. Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, who was at the meeting, said his group understands the Obama administration's concerns now that negotiations have begun.

Current sanctions have only worked at bringing the Iranians to negotiate, Foxman said. "The Iranians haven't stopped, haven't done anything, so why stop considering it?"

Though the ADL thinks "Congress should act," Foxman said his organization will refrain from active lobbying for new sanctions for a couple weeks.

Other participants included leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Anti-Defamation League and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

"AIPAC continues to support congressional action to adopt legislation to further strengthen sanctions and there will be absolutely no pause, delay or moratorium in our efforts," Kassen said.

J Street, a dovish group that has backed all efforts for increased Iran sanctions until now, says increasing sanctions would be counterproductive. J Street was not invited to the talks because it already backed the administration, said Alan Elsner, the group's vice president for communications.

Elsner said pushing for additional sanctions now will strengthen the opponents of Iran President Hassan Rouhani and may pressure him to back away from the new talks.

Iran should not be rewarded "just for nice words," but that Congress should resist "inserting itself into this right now and risking the Iranian negotiations," Elsner said. "Should that become an issue on the table we would definitely work to oppose it."